The United Arab Emirates won support Sunday from two other Gulf nations in its call for Saddam Hussein to step down to avert a war.

The king of Bahrain said he backs the call for Saddam to go, according to the Emirates state news agency (WAM). Kuwait's Cabinet also backed the measure, the official Kuwaiti news agency said.

The Emirates' proposal — made public Saturday at an Arab summit was the first open call by an Arab nation for Saddam to go into exile.

The Emirates on Sunday sought backing among its fellow Gulf nations. Other Arab nations, however, have rejected the idea of pressuring Saddam to quit, saying they cannot interfere in Iraq's domestic affairs.

The Emirates insisted Sunday that pressuring Saddam to leave Iraq was the only way to avert military action. "Rejecting these ideas put forward by the U.A.E. is acceptance of the remaining option, which is war," Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Emirates information minister, told The Associated Press.

The Bahraini king, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, met Sunday with the Emirates president in Abu Dhabi. The Emirates proposal "is the only Arab way out to protect Iraq and spare its people and the whole region the threats" of war, WAM quoted Sheikh Hamad as saying.

Kuwait's Cabinet said the Emirates proposal aims to "spare the region a destructive war that would destabilize peace and security," the Kuwaiti news agency said. (Albawaba.com)